New York
by IcyJadeXOXO
Summary: When Alex Hunter came back to New York City to do a simple job, she had no intention whatsoever of seeing Neal Caffrey. That is, until she actually saw him. Now caught in his web of intrigue, she wonders as to what surprises Neal has in store for her
1. Chapter 1

**Title** : _**New York**_

**Author's Note** : Indirectly follows "_**Strasbourg**_". My take on the missing scenes from _**Home Invasion**_, **Front Man**, and **Out of the Box**. If you've seen those episodes, then you pretty much know what happens. Although, I did add some filler scenes for embellishments.

**Disclaimer** : I don't own any of the _**original characters**_. That honor belongs to _**Jeff Eastin**_, _**White Collar writers **_and **USA Network**.

**Summary** : When Alex Hunter came back to New York City to do a simple job, she had no intention whatsoever of seeing Neal Caffrey. That is, until she actually saw him. Now caught in his web of intrigue, she wonders as to what surprises Neal has in store for her this time around. More importantly, the dilemma of whether or not she should she tell him about the secret she had been keeping for a long time. [Indirectly follows "_**Strasbourg**_".]

* * *

_**CHAPTER ONE**_

* * *

Alex observed the usual Friday morning hustle and bustle of the busy city around her. The city she grew up in, the city who always had a huge place in her heart. _New York City, how I've missed you! _Alex thought. Some things may have changed, but everything else was exactly the way she remembered it. The sights, the sounds, the smell, the taste, Alex was delighted to be back, even for only a short while. She, along with Asher, were sent there by Aretha to finish a job they started for an old friend of Asher's.

**Saul Gleason**, the owner of **Gleason Avionics**, had been a victim of corporate espionage and theft. One of his rival companies had found out that he had an initial design of the latest model of **SPS-65V-5**, a device to be used as an electronic support measure and defensive aid being developed for US military air crafts. This rival hired someone to steal the Proof-of-Principle Prototype of the device and it was their job to steal if back. They finally managed to track down the stolen prototype, a breadboard the size of a shoe box, back in the **Shinjuku** district of **Tokyo, Japan**. Zeke, with his usual flair, was tasked to do the retrieval. Now, it was up to Alex and Asher to give it back to the rightful owner, which was why they were there for the weekend. The exchange wasn't supposed to happen until tomorrow, so she left Asher to rest back at the hotel, while she roamed around The Big Apple.

After she did her little sight-seeing, she decided to stop by to see an old friend. More like family, really. She went to the corner of West 26th and 5th and headed inside the Morgan Boxing Center. It was a boxing gym that Hale had opened so that underprivileged kids would have a place to train and they can stay off the streets. The place was already packed when she went inside, so she went directly to Hale's office upstairs. His office door was partially opened, Alex saw Hale doing some paper works. She knocked softly and Hale couldn't help but laugh out loud with delight when he saw her. They hugged each other tightly, as they said their hellos.

_"Why didn't you tell me you were coming to town? I would've picked you up at the airport!"_ Hale told her.

_"Oh, I wouldn't want to be a bother! I know how busy you are with all these, among 'other stuff'!"_ Alex replied, still with a smile on her face. _"So, how's the family?"_ she asked Hale.

_"Oh, they're fine. You can ask them yourself, when you have dinner at the house tonight! Iola __would be thrilled to have you over for dinner!"_ Hale replied.

_"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose on you, especially on such short notice, Hale!" _she said.

_"What do you mean, impose? It would be very disrespectful to your godparents if you deny them of this pleasure!"_ Hale insisted. _"Now, tell me that you brought pictures of young Nicholas with you!" _he continued.

Alex took out her Blackberry and showed Hale a slide show of photos she had taken of her son, who had just turned five years old less than a couple of months ago. Hale was amazed at how fast Nicholas had grown, who now looked very much like a younger version of his father. Alex told Hale stories about her son, and Hale was delighted in hearing them, that they didn't notice the time. I was already half past noon. Alex said her goodbyes and promised to come over for dinner at the house later. She left the gym and headed back to the hotel.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Alex, she was being watched by someone since she had gotten out of Hale's gym. A man wearing a Devore suit, a fedora hat and dark sunglasses. **Neal Caffrey **had gone there, hoping to ask for Hale's assistance in finding Alex. By sheer luck as it turned out, he didn't need to ask Hale, since Neal himself found her coming out of the gym. He had no clue that Alex had been out of the country for years and had just come back that day. Neal tried to follow her but to no avail, for the alarm on his anklet started beeping. A signal that he had gone past his two-mile radius. With a resigned sigh, Neal stopped on his tracks. It doesn't matter. He knew all of Alex's favourite New York City haunts.

_Soon, Alex! I'll be seeing you again soon enough! _Neal thought. Realizing that his lunch hour was almost over, he turned around and headed back to the FBI office building.

* * *

Alex bought Chinese take-outs on the way, then returned to their hotel suite. Asher was still sleeping in his room, obviously still tired from the trip, so she didn't bother waking him. She set the food down at the dining area for later, then hurried to her room. It was almost half past 7PM back in Budapest, Nicholas' bedtime was 8PM. She had bought him a netbook for his birthday and she promised him that they would talk to each other through online video chat whenever she has a job away from home. She turned on her netbook and logged in. She was so delighted to see her son even if it were only through video conference. She saw that Nicholas was already dressed in his pajamas. She let her son talk about what his day was like.

After that, she told him about seeing granddad Hale earlier, and mentioned that she was having dinner with the family later. Alex had made sure through the years that Nicholas remained close to Hale and his family, even though they were separated by a great distance. She looked a the clock and saw that it was her son's bedtime.

_"Okay, baby, time for bed! Don't give Edina any trouble now." _she told Nicholas.

_"But Anya, I'd like for us to chat some more! I really do miss you! Can I stay up a little later, please?"_ Nicholas pleaded with those beautiful blue eyes.

_"I miss you too, and I'd love to chat with you a bit longer too, baby, but you know the rules! It's bedtime, no exceptions!"_ Alex replied.

_"But I'm not sleepy yet, Anya!"_ Nicholas begged some more.

Alex took this as a cue. She sang to him his favourite lullaby, **Golden Slumbers**.

_"Now, will you be able to sleep?" _she asked him after she finished her song. Nicholas smiled at her and nodded. _"Good night, Moonbeam. Sweet dreams!"_ she said.

_"Good night, Mama! I love you!"_ Nicholas replied.

_"I love you more, baby!"_ she said. _"But I said it first!"_ Nicholas replied coyly.

Alex laughed. They said their goodbyes and Alex logged off.

* * *

Alex came out of her room and found Asher already eating at the dining area.

_"Oh, hey! How was your chat with Nicholas?"_ Asher asked her, after swallowing a bite.

"How did you know I was chatting with him?" Alex asked.

_"I could hear you singing from here."_ he explained.

Alex sat down next to Asher. As she picked on her food, she told him about her chat with Nicholas and how much she missed him. She also filled Asher in on seeing Hale earlier.

_"By the way, we're having dinner at their house tonight."_ Alex told him.

_"Uhm, correction, YOU'RE having dinner at their house tonight. Look, I know they're like family to you. I wouldn't want to intrude."_ Asher declined.

Alex arched her eyebrow. _"Meaning, you already have plans for tonight. That can only mean two things. So which is it, gadget or girl?" _she teased him.

_"Girl. Have a date with Claire tonight!"_ Asher said with a grin.

_"Claire as in Claire Gleason?"_ she saw Asher nod and smile.

**Claire Gleason **was their client Saul Gleason's daughter.

_"Tell me something, did we take this case because Saul is a good friend of yours or because you're trying to get into his daughter's pants?"_ she teased Asher some more.

Asher's face turned bright red. _"It's not like that! She stimulates me intellectually."_ he explained.

_"Yeah, right! And the fact that she looks like she just stepped out of a cover a fashion magazine had nothing to do with it?" _Alex said mischievously. _"Oh alright! Have fun on your __date tonight!"_ she finally relented after seeing Asher blush some more.

* * *

Alex rested for a few hours, then got ready to go to the Morgan residence. She went to pick up a bottle of wine on the way. She knew better than to bring any food items, since she knew that Iola would be preparing more than enough food to feed a small army. She remembered fond memories of Friday night dinners at the Morgan's house quite well. It was always filled with fun stories and lots of great food. She rang the doorbell and was greeted at the door by a woman her age, smiling from ear to ear.

_"Hey everyone! Lexie's here!" _she announced as Alex went inside.

The next thing she knew, she was being hugged by Hale's family, the people she considered as her own. As per usual, everyone shared stories as they ate Iola's delicious food. **Luther**, Hale and Iola's eldest son who was a few years older than Alex, introduced her to his wife, **Aisha** and their 9 year-old son, **Caleb**. Alex also found out that Luther was now a pilot for the United States Marine Corps and was due to go back to Afghanistan withing the week. The woman who greeted her at the door earlier was **Lenore**, Hale and Iola's middle child and only daughter. She is a registered nurse at Bellevue Hospital Center for a couple of years now. **Lance**, the youngest son was a little older than Asher. He's a student at Columbia University and was due to earn his master's degree in Computer Engineering in a few months.

Alex just sat there eating the delicious food, as she listened to everyone talk. She realized how much she really missed being with them.

_"Come on, __**Lexie**__! Your turn!"_ Lenore said.

_'Lexie'. It's been a while since someone had called me that!_ Alex thought. It was the name that Hale's children called Alex since they were teens. It was Luther, Lenore, and Lance's way of letting Alex know that she was like a sister to them.

Alex obliged and told them stories, mostly about her son. She passed along her mobile so that everyone could see her photos of Nicholas. They were having so much fun while having dinner. As the night got late, they decided it was time to go. Luther pulled her into a tight embrace as he said goodbye, before carrying the already sleeping Caleb out to the car. Lance was next to leave since he had an exam the next day. Lenore said good night and asked Alex to keep in touch, to which Alex promised that she would.

Alex wasn't ready to call it a night just yet, so she stayed behind to help Iola and Hale clean up, just like she always did when she was a teenager. Iola talked about her restaurant business and Hale told Alex about his plans on taking Iola on a trip around the world. She always loved her conversations with her godparents. Somehow, the topic had managed to return to Nicholas.

_"He's learning how to draw, read and write now. He's taken a liking to comic books. He seems to think that I'm Catwoman." _Alex chuckled. Then her facial expresion grew serious. She paused and took a deep breath. _"This all seems amusing to him now, but when he gets old enough to realize who I really am and what I really do, I hope he doesn't end up hating me."_ Alex said emotionally.

Iola hugged her. _"Oh, my dear. You are a good mother who is trying to provide for your son. I'm sure he will appreciate that more as he grows up."_ Iola said to her.

_"Look Alex, we all make our choices in life. And the choices that you made may not be the most popular choice for most people, but you did it for the well-being of your son. No one can fault you for that."_ Hale told her.

_"I agree. Did you think that our children were blind as to what kind of jobs Hale did on the side? No, they knew what their father did for a living. They knew that their father was no saint! Do they seem like hated Hale for it? No, they don't. Nicholas will realize one day the amount of __love that you have for him and that you did everything in your power to raise him properly and he WILL understand!"_ Iola explained.

After their conversation, Alex felt a lot better. She went back to the hotel to finally get some sleep. She had an early day tomorrow morning.

* * *

~**END OF CHAPTER ONE**~

* * *

**Footnotes** :

***White Collar **writers never quite mentioned what Hale's last name was, so I made up the last name **Morgan**.

*I don't really know anything about avionic devices. The **SPS-65V-5** was just an idea from a friend.

***Anya** means mother in Hungarian. Nicholas calls Alex "_Anya_" as a respectful term, while he uses "_Mama_" as a term of endearment.

*You might remember that the song "**Golden Slumbers**" was the lullaby Alex sang to Nicholas as a baby in order to make him sleep.

*I'd like to believe that Alex raised her son with love without exactly spoiling him, hence, the rules.

*I felt that the video chat scene was necessary to fill you in about Nicholas, who's now a young boy. I wanted to show that not even a huge amount of distance could separate Alex from her son. It also showed how much family really meant to Alex.

*This chapter was mostly a prologue to "**Home Invasion**". It gives you a glimpse of what Alex's life was like back in New York. Also some background info I made up about Hale's family.

_*****Thank you so much for taking time to read this chapter.*****_


	2. Chapter 2

_**CHAPTER TWO**_

* * *

Alex was having a fantastic morning that day. The exchange went well. Saul Gleason got his prototype back safe and sound. Their '_compensation_' was wired to their account to the Cayman Islands. She'll be seeing Nicholas soon enough since she and Asher were flying back to Hungary the next day. Everything was great. Alex wanted to celebrate, but Asher was otherwise occupied with spending his last day in the city with Claire.

She decided to celebrate on her own. With New York City being her old stomping ground, she decided to take a trip down memory lane and visited her usual old haunts. **Rockefeller Plaza **had always been her favourite.

_So many marks, so little time! I wonder if I still got it?_ she thought.

Finally, she decided on which poor sap's pocket she should pick and went for it. Once she thought she was at a safe distance, she took the wallet out of her purse and opened it. What she saw made her heart skip a beat. It was an _origami lily _that Neal once taught her how to make. She looked around to see if it was really Neal who put it there, and sure enough, she spotted him not too far away.

They walked over to a secluded area where they could talk. Alex complimented Neal's skills, as she remembered how he loved it when women stroked his ego. Their little conversation by the balcony of the ice skating rink revealed the Caffrey was still after the amber music box, the same one they were after back in **Copenhagen**. She made sure to tell him that she gave up on it a long time ago and that she doesn't know anything more about the music box. Neal didn't believe her and told her that if she changed her mind, his number was written in the origami.

* * *

Back at the hotel, she just sat there on the sofa and thought about what just happened back at Rockefeller Plaza. When first saw Neal there, she didn't know what to think. She hadn't seen him for over five long years, not since he said goodbye and left her in Copenhagen. Neal was as he had always been, beautiful, sexy, smart and very charming. It took everything in her not to kiss him. Part of her always knew that Neal will always have a special place in her heart. For the past five years, she only had Nicholas as the man in ther life. Let's face it, there's not exactly a huge amount of Neal Caffreys in the planet. She wouldn't be able to find another man to replace him even if she wanted to. Not that she wanted to.

_Damn!_ She thought that time had healed her wounded heart. After all, life had been good for her the past years. She's made new friends, business had been good, and she has her son. _Their son. Her's AND Neal's. _There it was, that big secret she had been keeping from him. Of course she didn't tell him about Nicholas, she wouldn't know where to start. She had a hard enough time getting over the initial shock of seeing Neal again, she wasn't exactly sure what she was thinking.

Asher entered the room and interrupted her thoughts. He asked her if everything was alright. She told him about her little run-in with Neal. Asher presumed that Alex wasn't exactly in the right state of mind to see reason, so he did exactly what he does best. He took out his laptop and looked up Neal Caffrey in the system. He then told Alex that Neal just got out of prison a few months back. And that he now works for the **FBI**.

Alex was livid after hearing this. She couldn't help but think that Caffrey was playing her. Deep inside, she had always known not to trust him completely. She knew better than to take anything he said at face value. She didn't want to believe it but it was actually possible that Neal was setting her up. She tried her best to remain calm. She looked at the origami lily Neal gave to her earlier and saw his number and address.

_Of course, it was a mansion! Can't imagine Neal Caffrey living anywhere else!_ she thought.

* * *

She went over to the address Neal gave her, to tell him to his face what a bastard he was.

_"You turned Fed?" _she asked angrily.

_"I was forced Fed!"_ Neal said, always the smart ass.

She told him that she still had her ways of looking up confidential information. He gave her a load of nonsense about communicating with the FBI only when he was ordered to, and some excuse about the anklet.

Then there was a knock on Neal's door, another late-night visitor. Some guy named Peter. Per Alex's idea, she and Neal pretended to be having a night of passion, before Peter interrupted. It didn't take long before Alex realized that the man who just came in was THE **Peter Burke**. The same FBI agent who had arrested Neal years ago. Needless to say, she couldn't get away from Neal's apartment quick enough.

Before she left, she reached over and rearranged some tiles on his Scrabble board: **F. E. D.** Then she walked up to Neal who was standing at the door, and stared at him as she let herself out without a word.

* * *

Alex went back to the hotel, confused as to why Neal would be working for the FBI. She needed to know. He didn't seem to be as _'forced fed'_ as Neal lead her to believe. In fact, he and Peter seemed to be good friends. All of her instincts were screaming, telling her to run far away and never look back. But her heart wanted to know if Neal was in any trouble. She saw that Neal was genuinely honest about needing her help.

She wanted answers. Why the amber music box? Why now? What for? Or should she be asking '_Who_'? So she made a call to Aretha, telling her that she would be staying in New York a little longer and that she was sending Asher back to Budapest alone. Alex told her about the Neal situation, and needless to say, Aretha was not happy to hear it at all.

But Alex had already made up her mind, and the next day, she told Asher that he would be returning to Vadzel alone. Asher did not like the idea as well, but he knew better than to argue with Alex. Instead, he handed Alex his laptop case.

_"You're giving me Sydney? I can't take her, she's like your baby!"_ Alex asked him. _'Sydney'_ was Asher's high powered laptop that never went anywhere without.

_"No, I'm loaning you Sydney. She has a direct network connected to my super computer back at the manor's tech center. If you ever need any of us, we are one click away. Plus, easier access to Nicholas this way."_ Asher replied. He knew that he only needed to mention _'Nicholas'_ and Alex would agree. Alex hugged and thanked him before he left for the airport.

* * *

Alex moved into a one bedroom suite after Asher left. She actually missed not having her nerdy friend around. It was quiet, she had no one to talk to. After a couple of days, she got a call from Asher. There was urgency in his voice.

_"Alex, I thought you'd wanna know. Your fingerprints were run into the system database. The request came from the FBI's __**White Collar Crime Division.**__"_ he told her.

Asher tried to convince her to just come home and forget about Caffrey. Alex thanked him for his concern, as well as the information he just shared. After she hung up, she decided it was time for some payback. She went out and followed Neal and his FBI handler around town. A plan came to mind. Not exactly a brilliant plan. Seems that whenever Caffrey was involved, all reason goes out the window for her. Alex allowed her anger consume her. She wanted to teach Neal Caffrey a lesson.

Alex went inside the bar, and found Neal all cozy with a long-haired blonde. She confronted him, not really shy about saying what was on her mind.

_"I don't see you for over five years, and within minutes of you waltzing back into my life I've got the __**FBI**__ checking up on me?"_ Alex yelled, trying to make a scene.

It worked, since the mere mention of the _'FBI'_ scared the blonde away.

"_It stinks when somebody messes with your job, doesn't it? FBI ran my prints. That's bad for my business."_ she continued.

All she heard was a lame excuse for a half-assed apology before Neal went after the blonde. She turned around and saw an African American man in an FBI issue jacket approaching her. She just held up one hand and said _"Don't even bother! I'm leaving!"_ and walked right past him.

* * *

Alex rang her European contacts with hopes to find any answers about the music box's current location. Much to her delight, one of them actually told her that he might have some information for her by the end of the week. It was her idea to get the amber music box to begin with, she only brought Neal in on the plan later on.

_I'll be damned if he leaves me out of the loop now! _Alex thought.

Then Neal tried to pull that origami lily stunt again when she was walking down 6th Ave., only she was ready for him this time. His level of persistence only proved more to her that Neal would stop at nothing to get the music box. And she couldn't resist using that to her advantage. She taunted Neal and lied to him that she already knew the location of the music box. Neal tried to act cool, but she noticed how excited he got when he heard this.

_"Well, as long as you're working for the FBI, you'll never know."_ Alex said with a cheeky grin on her face, as she slowly walked away from Neal. For years, Caffrey had so much power and control over her. It felt great to be the one holding the upper hand this time around.

* * *

For days, she made sure she stayed out of Neal's two mile radius. Even after her contact had came through for her about the location of the music box, she continued to dodge Neal's persistent calls. She loved the idea of driving him insane by making him jump through hoops. There's no reason she couldn't have a little fun with him. An idea came to her about one final hurdle for Neal. She told him that if he wanted her help regarding the music box, then he needed to figure out how to get his tracking anklet off. She wanted proof that he could get out of his electronic leash. She had no idea how he did it, but the next time she saw, the anklet was gone. Then she set new terms about their deal.

She wanted her and Neal to get the music box together, and once they got it, split it 50/50. She even threatened him about making his life miserable if he double crosses her.

_"When did you become so distrusting?"_ Neal asked her.

_"When what happened with Kate..."_ she answered, then paused.

_"Happened."_ Neal finished her sentence for her.

She read Neal's reaction carefully once she had mentioned Kate's name. Then she realized, that was the missing link. Whatever Neal's reason was in trying to get the music box, it was directly linked to Kate. She should have known all along.

* * *

One afternoon a few days later, she was in her hotel suite since it was her usual time to chat with Nicholas. She had just logged off from Asher's laptop after her video chat with her son after singing him to sleep, when she heard a knock at her door. She look through the peep hole and saw Mozzie. She wondered what he was doing there and let him in.

_"Hey, was that you singing just a while ago? You're singing voice have improved vastly since the last time I've heard you sing!_ Mozzie complimented her, attempting to break the ice.

_"Cut the crap, Moz! Tell me what you came here for? I already told Caffrey my terms regarding the music box!"_ Alex snapped at him.

Mozzie just smiled back at her, which made Alex feel bad about her behaviour.

_"What, I can't go see an old friend?"_ Mozzie asked.

_"So, you do remember that we were once friends!"_ Alex guilt tripped him.

_"We still are, Alex! Just because I'm constantly on Neal's side of things, doesn't mean I've forgotten that!"_ Mozzie told her. He continued. _"Look, Alex, about what happened back in Copenhagen, you have to know I did everything I could to convince Neal to go back and get you. There was just too many authorities circling around. Neal couldn't risk it. I was so angry at him for leaving you behind in the first place!"_ he explained.

_"And did you manage to stay angry with him for more than 24 hours?" _Alex asked, her tone now had softened.

_"I was mad at him for three days, believe it or not! That's a record" _Mozzie said smiling.

_"Wow! Three whole days!"_ Alex chuckled _"I've missed you, Moz!"_ she relented.

_"I've missed you too, Alex! With you gone and Neal in prison, the past years have been certainly boring!"_ Mozzie joked.

* * *

They talked for a while, Alex careful to avoid certain details of her life.

_"Well, aren't you going to ask me?"_ Mozzie asked her.

_"Ask you what?"_ Alex said.

_"Why Neal desperately wants to get his hands on the music box this time around?"_ Mozzie continued.

_"Well, I've already worked out that Kate is involved with this somehow."_ Alex replied. Mozzie's silence was all the confirmation that Alex needed. _"It's alright, Moz. I've accepted a long time ago that Neal will never love me as much as he loves Kate. I never stood a chance. The two of them have a history together. I was never more than just the other woman he loved to flirt with every once in a while."_ Alex said in a very sad tone, choosing her words carefully.

_"For what it's worth, I don't trust her." _Mozzie declared.

_"You don't trust anyone, Moz! Not me, not even Neal!"_ Alex said, tongue in cheek.

_"This is true!"_ Mozzie joked.

Alex then gave him an address and asked him to tell Neal to meet her there the next day. Mozzie soon left after their talk.

* * *

After Mozzie departed, Alex once again was left alone in her suite. She pondered on the things she and Mozzie talked about. She thought deeply of the past and the present and most especially, what the future holds. Alex had always found it hard to resist Caffrey's charms. She felt like a junkie who had fallen off the wagon. After all the years that passed, Neal Caffrey still had that powerful effect on her. Even from when they had first met, with all his series of lies and half-truths, Neal had eventually managed to gain her trust. Even more so, after she had found out about Kate, she had managed to stay friends with Neal.

Now was really not an exception, she realized. She knew from the start that she would have eventually decided to help Neal anyway, even if the favor was more for Kate than for Neal. She wondered, if she told Neal about their son right now, would he give up his search for Kate? Would he choose to be with her and Nicholas? Then, she realized that it wouldn't be fair to Neal. She reviewed the situation they were all in at the moment, and Alex finally decided that now would not be the right time to tell Neal about Nicholas.

* * *

The next morning, Alex waited for Neal to arrive at the address she had given Mozzie. It was a house she had borrowed from one of her contacts in New York. She needed a private place with a pool for her plan to work. When Neal got there, they flirted a little. She told Neal, who seemed hesitant at first, to get in the pool with her.

_"I know about the anklet. What I don't know is if you're wired."_ she told him.

So Neal finally went in the pool with her. They talked about the music box and what they needed to do to steal it from the Italians. When they were done, Neal asked her _"I know why I'm naked. Why are you?"_

She then moved closer to Neal, gave his face a soft caress, letting her fingers touch his lips. Then she gave him a seductive smile. _"Oh, Caffrey!"_ she said, shaking her head. With that, she turned around and slowly swam away from him

_"Wait! Where are you going?"_ Neal called her back. Alex continued to swim away from him without looking back. She didn't need to see his face to know that he never took his eyes away from her naked body.

_"Alex!"_ Neal called her again.

She reached the steps and slowly pulled herself out of the pool. She could feel his eyes staring at her exquisite body, regarding it's every detail and every curve. _Oh, yeah! He's staring, alright! Quite right too. I didn't spend all that time working out for nothing!_ she thought.

Alex wanted Neal to know that just like him, the past years have been very kind to her as well, aesthetically speaking. She wanted him to see her in all her naked glory, and if possible leave him drooling over her. Now out of the pool, she could see that her little scheme worked. She had made her point. Neal was still in the pool, staring like a hungry wolf with his eyes on a prey. _Hah!_ she thought triumphantly. She felt great, knowing that all those years of training, combined with her healthy diet and strict beauty regimen had finally paid off. She put her robe on, and turned to Neal.

_"Guest showers are over there at the pool house."_ she said, pointing him to the direction of the pool house. _"Have a nice day, Caffrey! I'll be in touch."_ she said. With that, she turned her back and went inside the house. She smiled sheepishly at the thought of leaving a confused, and speechless Neal Caffrey back at the pool.

* * *

Finally, after days of sorting out the details of the heist, the date of the party finally arrived. Alex looked at herself in the mirror, trying to make herself beautiful not only for her date **Duke Ignatius Barden**, but for Neal as well. She continued to stare at herself.

_"If only __**Leopold**_ _and __**Natalia Hunter**_ _were alive to see me now! They'd either be very proud, or they'd never stop throwing up!" _she thought.

She knew that her parents loved her but considering her chosen career path, she doubted that they would approve. This was why she avoided mirrors as much as possible. It makes one doubt one's self. A wise man once told her, _"You'd be surprised at the things you could accomplish when you don't have to look at yourself in the mirror. You'd certainly sleep better at night!"_ To that, she agreed. She finished getting ready and went off to meet her date.

* * *

Hours later, Alex hurried back to her suite. She had just done the unthinkable. She had double-crossed Neal Caffrey. She never thought she had it in her. This act of betrayal came as as a surprise to Alex herself. She had always thought that like Mozzie, her loyalties lies with Neal. Maybe the thought of Neal and Kate finally being together made her jealous and it impeded her judgement. She looked at the amber music box. Finally, after all those years, it was in her hands now. Then she remembered the kind of hell Neal was put through by the people who wanted the music box.

_Do I need that kind of problems in my life right now?_ she asked herself.

She noticed then that there was a small hole on the cover of the box, and wondered what it was for. Then she remembered her very own part of the music box. She took the cherub piece out and placed it on the hole. Once she twisted it, it opened a secret compartment that revealed a second comb. Once she snapped the comb into place, the music changed. Some sort of code. She didn't really know what it meant. She could have Asher crack it but that would mean bringing in another innocent person into this mess and Alex wasn't prepared to endanger a friend's life for her own personal gain.

Alex finally decided on giving Neal the music box. When she returned to his apartment, no one was more surprised to her than Neal. Needless to say, he was more than happy to see her and he was very grateful for giving him the music box. She told him that she didn't need all the heat that the music box had brought him.

As she prepared to leave, she warned him, _"I hope Kate's still the same girl you think she is." _When asked why she brought the box back if she didn't trust Kate, she answered, _"Because I don't want this to be good-bye. In case she's not."_ She didn't want it to be goodbye at all. But she knew that weren't possible.

So she went back to her suite and booked the next flight to Budapest. She packed up her things and prepared to leave. It was long overdue anyway. Besides, she missed her son immensely. She couldn't wait to hold him in her arms again. She checked out of the hotel and hailed a taxi outside.

_"Goodbye, New York! It was nice seeing you again!"_ she thought as she boarded a taxi and headed for the airport.

* * *

~_**FINI**_~

* * *

_**Footnotes**_:

*While the first chapter was mostly prologue, this chapter was not only a summary of what happened in **"Home Invasion"**, **"Front Man"** and **"Out of the Box"**. It also consists of my take on the scenes in between that happened but the audience didn't get to see. Mostly about Alex's state of mind, her thoughts, her fears.

*I believe that even if they were not best friends, Moz and Alex are good friends, even from the past. Keep in mind that I haven't seen the flashback episode when I wrote this.

*There were a lot of speculations on whether what really happened during the pool scene from "Out of the Box". Did they or didn't they? I think that Neal was greatly attracted to Alex but loved Kate enough to restrain himself from having sex with Alex. He looked, but he didn't touch!

*Made up the names Leopold and Natalia Hunter as Alex's parents. You might remember that "Leopold" is Nicholas' middle name [Budapest].

*It's possible that Alex didn't really return to Budapest. You'll find out on the next story.

***Thank you so much for taking time to read this story!***


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